Melody Aira Snow Hogwarts Assistant!
by Jessie12
Summary: Melody Aira Snow is a Hogwarts graduate who returns to the school to be an 'assistant', alongside the famous Harry Potter. Thinking the year's going to be a quiet one, Mel is proved highly wrong when a Nixus stumbles upon the school.
1. Chapter 1

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
History... eww! More, more and even more students doze off with each boring lesson! I remember clearly wanting to jump up in class and go berserk, jumping up and down and screaming my head off (dancing on the tables would have been a bonus). And when Professor Binns asked what was the matter, I would coolly answer, "Just a little something to keep me from rotting of boredom." Oh, that would have been so sweet, honestly!  
  
Hold on... I forgot to introduce myself! Really, where are my manners these days? Anyway, I'm Melody. In full, Melody Aira Snow. Yes, yes, yes... I know a lot of people say it's a nice name. But honestly, the gentle, mythical sound of it all doesn't even give a hint of my personality. I, for one, detest skirts and dresses (which is why I'm wearing trousers), makeup, flirting, and all the fuss of being a prim, proper lady. Detest it all. And by the way, please take note that 'Aira' rhymes with 'Myra'... just so you know. And anyway, I'm tired of people pronouncing it as 'era'...  
  
You may have noticed that I'm not dressed like the other students, unless you are visually impaired... just kidding! Simple explanation, really: I'm not a student. No, I'm not a Professor either... or a caretaker... and no, I am most definitely not someone's pet! What could possibly have made you think that is beyond me...  
  
Well, see, I graduated last year. This year, I'm here with another one of Hogwarts' graduates; Harry Potter (you just might have heard of him. I don't know him too well, and I plan to get to know him this year), as... well... 'assistants'. You know, going around, helping out all day, making ourselves useful... the like. 'Assistants'. Well... maybe I should define myself a little more.  
  
Hmm... let's see... ok, here's an example of things we do: Help the Professors mark homework papers (trust me, we do that a lot), help Hagrid out whenever he's tending the garden (we do that a lot also), watch students in detention to make sure they don't run off... alright, I admit! I don't really know yet all the things that we're going to have to do. We just started as assistants about three days ago. It's like a temporary job (Funnily enough, we still have to eat at the Gryffindor table and sleep in the Gryffindor dorms. Don't ask me why...).  
  
Anyway, I was walking past the History classroom when I saw a familiar figure waving cheerfully at me from further down the corridor. He was smiling from ear to ear. That smile... every time I looked at that innocent eleven-year-old face, I saw Harry's almost exact eleven-year-old clone, minus the scar and glasses. He even acted almost exactly like the eleven-year-old Harry, except maybe he was a bit more on the clumsy side. So Potter-like, and yet... he was a Malfoy.  
  
Surprised? Shocked, even? Oh, don't worry. You're not (and trust me, you never will be) the only one. But the fact unfortunately remains; This perfectly likeable, decent, friendly, brave little boy comes from a family of perfectly detestable, rude, arrogant, cowardly purebloods. I'm not saying purebloods are bad, by the way (why would I? I'm one myself!), I just don't like the Malfoys... not that I really ever knew them well, but they don't exactly seem like a nice family, you know what I mean?  
  
Eranoy Rovan Malfoy is a First-year Slytherin student. Exactly WHY he's stuck in Slytherin... well, he practically begged the Sorting Hat to place him in Slytherin, having received strict instructions from his father to 'carry on the Malfoy tradition with pride' (urgh... ). But take my true word for it, he should not, and I repeat, not be there. A pure gem of a Malfoy, this one. One in a million. The white sheep in a family of blacks. The angel among the devils. The Gryffindor among the Slytherins. The... Ok, I suppose I've made my point.  
  
I stopped and let him run up to me. He was holding a rather thick textbook in his hand. "Hello, Eranoy," I greeted, "What's all the excitement about?"  
  
He shook his dark head. "Nothing... I just wanted to ask if... if you're off to see Anya," he said, obviously hopeful. Anya is my pet; a physically lovely white winged horse of the miniature Abraxan breed. An eighteenth birthday present from the Weasley twins. In school, I had a habit of occasionally pulling a prank or two with them. How they got the horse is one of my life's greatest mysteries. Eranoy simply adores her.  
  
Rolling my eyes in amusement , I smiled. "Eranoy... " I crooned, "The school year started a week ago, and for a week I've been telling you that you don't need me to go see her. You can just march over there and see her yourself."  
  
He grinned and gave me an apologetic shrug. "Sorry... I know you're always telling me that, but what with all this 'beginning-of-year' fuss, I keep forgetting." He fidgeted with his robe.  
  
"So go see her already."  
  
"I can't."  
  
"Why ever not?"  
  
"Because," he tapped his textbook, "I have to go practise my spells. 'A wizard's not a wizard if he doesn't know any spells'," he quoted.  
  
"Where'd you get that from?"  
  
He chuckled. "My cousin, Blair," he answered. "Not exactly the 'cool' thing to say, in my opinion, but I think it's very true. Don't you?" I just nodded slowly; I couldn't help wondering what horrible catastrophe had caused the poor souls' parents to give him such a name as... Blair Malfoy. Hopefully, that was not his last name.  
  
Eranoy spoke again. "Do you think you could help me? ... Or are you busy?"  
  
At that, I smirked. "Being school-famous for my genius in charms isn't easy," I bragged playfully. I slung my arm around his shoulder and led him off. "Let's go."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Not wanting to sound like Hermione Granger in our first Charms class ('It's Leviosa, not Leviosa... '), I decided to demonstrate the spell again. "Alright, Eranoy, see here," I began, "I propose that you stop worrying about your wrist movement," I pointed to his hand," because it's fine already." I avoided the word 'perfect', in case it got to his head. "It's fine," I repeated.  
  
"So why can't I get it right?" he sighed , staring at his wand a bit dejectedly. Eranoy, like me, had a very deep interest in Spells and Charms, and wanted to learn every single one on the planet. But unlike me, he had difficulty getting the chanting exactly right (I heard him pronouncing 'Accio' as 'Akkio' yesterday).  
  
I laid his Charms textbook on the table beside him. "It's not entirely about wrists movements, Eranoy. In fact, wrist movements aren't all that important. What is important is... "  
  
"Chanting?" he suggested.  
  
"Smart boy. Close that door, would you?" I pointed. Ever obedient, he hurried to the big wooden doors and shut them, then hurried back. Sunlight streamed in through the two big windows, giving pleasant light and warmth to the empty room. No one else was around, and my guess was that Eranoy was glad of that. It would have been a trifle embarrassing if a crowd was there to hear him blabber 'Wingardem Levisa' over and over again.  
  
I tapped my fingers patiently on the table. "I won't lie, Eranoy. Your chanting is almost entirely off. A spell has to be said right to work right." I shook my finger at him. "Remember what I told you about Seamus Finnigan?"  
  
Eranoy giggled, tapping his chin. "Yes."  
  
"Good. Now follow my every tone: Win-gar-dium Levi-o-sa. Come on now, try it. Properly please," I added.  
  
He nodded slowly. "Wingordium Levi... "  
  
"It's Win-gar-dium, not Win-gor-dium!" I cried. Then, I realised something; Damn it, was that me sounding like that know-it-all Miss Granger? Oh, no matter, I decided to simply shrug it off. "Try again, Eranoy," I sighed, gesturing with my hands.  
  
Eranoy gave a small smile, as if he understood what I had just realised (which was, of course, impossible, since he has never even known Hermione). Clutching his wand, he turned to a candle in a corner of the room. "Wingar... "  
  
"Not that, Eranoy, it's already floating."  
  
Embarrassed and a bit flustered , he turned to a matchbox I had put beside his book, going red in the face. "Don't worry Mel, I'll get it right this time," he grinned apologetically. Like I haven't heard that before...  
  
A raise of his arm. A point of the wand. Swish and flick. "Wingardium Leviosa!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Madam Pomfrey helped me lay him down on one of the beds. "Heaven help us! What happened here? " she enquired anxiously, adjusting the pillow. I heaved a sigh. "Levitation Spell," I muttered, "Had his damn wand pointing the wrong way and somehow found himself twenty feet in the air. I don't know how I missed that mistake."  
  
Madam Pomfrey examined the big beauty of a bruise on his head. "No concussion, that's good," she nodded with a sigh of relief. She started checking him all over. "Nothing broken either," she said, with another nod of satisfaction.  
  
"Unlikely." I lifted his limp, badly swollen wrist.  
  
"Oh, now that does not look good," she gasped, "Come, come now, let me see it." She turned his wrist gently, feeling it. "Oh my, this is definitely twisted," she sighed, shaking her head. "Oh well," she stood up straight and adjusted her cap. "It could have been worse, for all we know. No, don't touch it Snow, this is easily fixed in the hands of Poppy Pomfrey. Now you run off and leave this to me." She bustled off, muttering something about if it wasn't a rude Malfoy, it was a clumsy one.  
  
I headed for the door, knowing that Eranoy was in good wrists... I mean, hands. Madam Pomfrey prided herself on being an exceptionally good (and fussy) nurse, with hardly a healing failure in the past. Well... maybe except for the 'permanent' paralysis that that evil witch Rhondella had inflicted on me during my first year. Still, all that was over now. All those years of suffering were gone. Rhondella was long gone, long dead, long finished. She can't come back... she can't hurt me anymore... she can't and she won't!  
  
I closed the door to the hospital wing and started running for the stable.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	2. Chapter 2

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I was right; riding half-mad (or rather, flying half-mad) around the school did make me feel better. I closed my eyes, enjoying the wind and thrills of it all. Anya (my pet winged horse that I had mentioned earlier) was clearly enjoying herself too, judging by the way she neighed and whinnied in pure delight. I heaved a sigh of satisfaction and opened my eyes...  
  
"Watch out!!" I heard myself scream. Anya made a crazy quick dive to the right, missing Hufflepuff Tower by mere millimetres. I hung on for dear life and she swerved out of control, spinning a full 360 degrees repeatedly before slowly and shakily coming to a stop in mid-air, hovering above all the glory of Hogwarts. "My... my God... " I gasped, panting and gasping for breath. A few drops of sweat ran down my face as I tried to steady myself. Holding on the way I was, I was probably choking my horse to death. But instead of coughing or spluttering, she started... neighing amusedly. Oh No... Realisation dawns.  
  
"You did that on purpose?! How could you?" I yelled. "You scared the living magic out of me!! Get me down now, or... " I stopped, searching for a threat horrible enough to scare the whinnies clean out of her. Aha!  
  
"... or you're not getting your eggnog next Christmas!"  
  
That did it. Down we flew. If a horse could have cravings, Anya's was food.  
  
Ground sweet ground , I thought to myself, stepping off thankfully onto the grass. "Alright then, eggnog's on next Christmas," I nodded at the horse, dusting myself off with one hand and crossing my fingers behind my back with the other, "If I don't give it to you, either Eranoy or Harry will anyway. "  
  
"At least it's not poison or rat bile."  
  
I turned my head in the direction of the voice. No one. "Harry? Is that you?" No answer. No one was in sight. Unless...  
  
I looked up. "Gotcha," I grinned. Harry, decked in Quidditch attire, grinned back at me from his hovering broomstick. "Good Lord, how did you find me?" he grinned sarcastically , touching down.  
  
"Well, I wondered what that draught behind me was," I answered cheekily. Harry patted Anya's head, receiving an affectionate grunt in return. Anya had a big liking for Harry, and she practically worshiped Hagrid and Eranoy, since they spoiled her and brought her treats from day one. I, on the other hand, am her constant target to annoy the very wits out of (funnily enough, when food is concerned, she becomes quite the little sucking-up angel).  
  
"She's become quite a stunt-devil," Harry said.  
  
"I'm going to kill Fred and George; they gave me the killer horse!!" I muttered, "But anyway... how was practise today, Coach Potter? Did anyone... oh, I don't know, die?" I raised any eyebrow cheekily.  
  
"Not yet," he laughed. I suppose I forgot to mention that besides being an 'assistant', Harry had also managed to nab the position of Quidditch coach, being extremely good at it. How that came to pass is another mystery to me...  
  
I scratched my head. "Really? That's odd... " I said naughtily.  
  
"Practise was cancelled."  
  
That got me. "What? Cancelled? But it's the first match of the year tomorrow; why on earth did you cancel?"  
  
Harry raised a hand. "Relax... practise was delayed, to be more specific. And anyway, I wouldn't cancel Quidditch practise, would I?"  
  
"Guess not, unless you're chicken."  
  
"Am not... my animagus wouldn't be a chicken!"  
  
I took Anya's reigns, laughing. "So why was practise cancelled?" I asked.  
  
"Put the horse away and follow me."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
We stepped briskly down the hallway. "So why does McGonagall want to see us, anyway?" I asked, turning to look at Harry.  
  
"I don't know," he answered, "Hagrid came out onto the field and told me that she wanted to see us now. Important."  
  
"Ah, good day there, Harry, Melody. Quite a show that horse of yours put on there." It was Nearly Headless Nick. He floated in front of us, an amused smile crossing his face. "Good day, Sir Nick," we greeted in reply. Something puzzled me, though. "Sir Nick," I began, "How did you know about... "  
  
"I should tell you, dear girl," Nick interrupted, "When you're sixty-eight feet up in the air, screaming for all you're worth on a flying horse which apparently seems to have a death wish, and then screaming eggnog threats at it... well, you're bound to attract attention from the ground. Well, must go. Good day." He nodded at us and floated off. I looked at Harry. "I screamed?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "I don't blame you."  
  
I turned red. Who knows what the people on the ground must've been thinking. Snapping out of it, I started hurrying down the hallway again. "Come on, Harry, you know McGonagall doesn't like to be kept waiting." Harry followed quickly.  
  
Soon, we were knocking in the big old doors that led to the Professor's office. An authoritative voice answered, 'Come in'. We stepped inside.  
  
McGonagall's office was, as usual, spotless; everything in place, not a dust speck to be seen... too spotless. Why, even the Cornish Pixies would have to work like house-elves to make a mess of the place! A few candles bobbed and floated in the air. They were unlit, since glorious bright sunshine already shone in through the single but massive square window behind the Professor's desk, which was piled high with homework books. Her poor students had been doing essays, by the looks of it.  
  
"You wanted to see us, Prof... "  
  
Harry and I couldn't finish. We found we were struck dumb by what we saw in the middle of the floor.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A small white horse stood there, staring at us through deep midnight eyes filled with curiosity. Its mane and tail were of a glimmering pearly white, and its hooves gleamed a deep, deep black. You could easily see beauty radiating from it, not to mention daintiness. It was far smaller than Anya and looked liked a fragile porcelain figure. Definitely still a baby. But what struck us most was...  
  
"Wings and a horn?" Harry plucked the words right out of my stunned mind. "Professor... "  
  
"Is that a Nixus?" I gasped, my eyes wide . A Nixus is a cross between a Unicorn and a Pegasus (winged horse). Nixai are really, really rare nowadays. They have a natural habit of moving around from place to place every few days, never favouring a specific spot for habitation. They have far greater magical powers than ordinary unicorns and Pegasai, especially in their elusive horns. Very few witches and wizards have ever actually seen these creatures, so you can imagine how breathlessly fascinated we (or, at least, I) was.  
  
"Exactly, Ms. Snow. It was found eating the school turnips." McGonagall rose from her desk, putting down her quill and shooting a sharp look at the creature, which was still staring at us with a slight frown on it's brows. Maybe it was just me, but the Professor didn't sound (or look) too fascinated... or pleased. "Hagrid found it when he was passing the school garden. And speaking of the garden... " Her eyes turned to mine. "You'll have to control that flying horse of yours, Snow; it's eating the carrots and cabbages by the handful! If you're not careful, I will have to send it back to your family."  
  
I nodded humbly. "I'm sorry, Professor... I'll try to control her more, and I will put her on a diet. Honestly, I will."  
  
Harry blinked and turned his wide-eyed gaze away from the Nixus, who had settled quietly on the rug, the frown on its face growing deeper. "If I may ask, Professor," he said quietly, "Where did it come from?"  
  
"According to her, the Forbidden Forest."  
  
Although we had been expecting that (where else could she have come from?) we were still surprised. "The forest?! Does this mean, " I said, "that herds of Nixai are hiding out there, right beside the school?" My eyes shone.  
  
"Well, what did you expect? Horned apes?!" spoke a high, girly, irritated voice.  
  
Harry and I stared at each other. Slowly, we turned to the horse.  
  
It got up, swishing it's long tail, the frown replaced with a look of scorn. "You, uh... talk," I whispered, taken aback. To think that all this time, we had thought that a Nixus' ability to speak was nothing more than a mythical rumour.  
  
My words seemed to irritate it even more. "No, of course I don't, missy, I just curse and howl in the blue moonlight!" it snapped rudely, almost scowling at me. "For a 'great and legendary' witch and wizard, you two know practically nothing, do you?" While Harry had been dealing with fame & publicity, I was forced to too. My past incidents with Rhondella had made me rather famous in the magical world, if you must know. Not that I like it much, really. Don't like being recognised everywhere I go.  
  
I snapped out of my stunned state immediately, my feelings of awe and mystique quickly replaced by anger. "Excuse me... " I began. "Spare me the bore," it yawned , turning it's rear end to us rudely. "I'm in no mood for boring lectures today." And with that, it settled down on the furry rug, all cosy. I stood there open-mouthed, choking with cries of disbelief. "Of all the... Professor, it... I... argh!!" I balled my hands up into fists, glowering . Harry looked utterly disgusted. He looked like he was holding back a string of words best unheard .  
  
Professor McGonagall shook her head and sighed with a disapproving look . "I forgot to warn you that its manners might not exactly be your cup of tea."  
  
Harry winced unpleasantly. "I suppose you sent for us because of... that, Professor?" He gestured towards the bloody beast, who turned and gave us a rude look.  
  
"Absolutely right, Mr. Potter. You see... "  
  
"I'll have you know," the creature interrupted, lifting her head, "that I have a perfectly good name; 'Kientra'. In the future, please take note of that and address me properly." A smug smile crept across her face. "Personally," she continued, "I think that anyone would agree that it is a far better name than 'Melody' or 'Harry', or... " She caught the Professor's stern eye. "Umm... I guess that 'Minerva' isn't too bad a name," it slurred with somewhat obvious sarcasm.  
  
"I take it you are quite finished?" the Professor snapped. 'Kientra' lowered her head, muttering and grumbling as loudly as she dared . My guess was that just because it was a rare and elusive Nixus, it had expected top- quality V.I.P treatment. What, after that display of rudeness? Hah! Forget it!  
  
The Professor sat us two enraged souls down at her desk and told the story. Kientra had wandered away from the herd by herself to explore the forest (what kind of morbid devil would want to explore the Forbidden Forest?! ) and a Devil-Maid (I'll explain much, much later) had chased and hunted her mercilessly. Couldn't say I felt sorry for her when I heard that...  
  
Anyway, she got lost and somehow wandered into the school grounds by mistake. And according to Kientra, the herd never stayed in the same forest for long (told you). "They conceal their whereabouts with their own form of magic," the Professor continued, "They left yesterday and there is practically no magical way to find them. Which means... "  
  
"Professor!" I blurted out. "You... you don't expect me to take this... this... monstrosity under my wing?!" My mouth was open in disbelief.  
  
Kientra raised her head again, this time in disgust. "Monstrosity?" she growled, "Ms. Snow, I don't care what the word means, but judging by your insufferable tone, I believe... " She caught the Professor's eye again. "... that I am quite finished," she muttered, lowering her head.  
  
The Professor turned back to us. "Only temporarily, Ms. Snow. Professor Dumbledore and I have discussed the matter and we believe it is best you two take care of it, considering Hagrid has other responsibilities."  
  
Harry coughed politely. "Excuse me, Professor... but did you say, 'you two'?"  
  
"Did you think you were not a part of this, Potter?"  
  
Harry sat there, gripping his chair and trying to hide his mortification, while the Professor continued. "It is only temporary, Potter, Snow. I will be writing a letter to the Ministry of Magic later on, and once they have decided the appropriate thing to do with it... well, we'll see."  
  
"Couldn't we just release her into the Forbidden Forest again?" Harry suggested, "I don't see much harm in it."  
  
I looked at the Professor hopefully, the words 'pretty please' written all over my face.  
  
"No."  
  
I groaned and my shoulders sagged . McGonagall fixed me with a sympathetic but stern look. "The number of Nixai in this world are enough to consider them highly endangered, Snow. By releasing a young, helpless lone one into the untamed wild, we would be considered to be committing a crime, and therefore... " she paused, "have legal action taken on us. Else, I would have done so without a moment's hesitation the minute it opened it's mouth." Clearly, it hadn't given the Professor a good first impression.  
  
I saw no way out. Sighing, I forced the words out of my mouth. "Alright... I'll take care of her."  
  
"We will," Harry chipped in. "Although... " he glanced at Kientra, who immediately stuck her tongue out at him , "it won't be very pleasant."  
  
"And make sure she is never out your sight. You especially, Snow, since Potter will be busy with Quidditch at times. We can't have her roaming around the school." Oh Good God... I was not hearing this!  
  
And idea flickered in my mind. "Professor, could I... "  
  
"And leaving her in the stable is out of the question, Snow."  
  
"What if I... "  
  
"As I said, Hagrid has other responsibilities to take care of."  
  
"How about... "  
  
"And there is no way you are locking her in the underground dungeon, Snow."  
  
Ideas crushed. Harry gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.  
  
"You know, this rug is quite a luxury," the bloody beast crooned. "I could get used to all this." She snuggled down comfortably.  
  
"Oh, really? Well, what if I told you that it is made out of Nixus manes?" McGonagall said calmly.  
  
That got the wretched snob to her feet.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	3. Chapter 3

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "It's not... really made out of Nixus manes, is it?" Harry whispered to me as we made our way up the stairs.  
  
"Don't be silly; of course it isn't'!" I whispered back. "McGonagall just wanted to scare her. It's artificial fur." In front of us, Kientra trotted grandly, looking around with a mixture of curiosity and arrogance.  
  
"Good morning, both of you!"  
  
"Aaahhh!!" Kientra shot up the stairs like a whirlwind and stayed at the top, quivering like a leaf.  
  
Harry and I started laughing and slapping our knees . "Good morning, Mr. Smokey," I replied to the portrait, still laughing, "You just scared our snobby little guest right out of her snobby little wits! I salute you!" I grinned.  
  
Mr. Smokey stared at us through his pale grey eyes and puffed at his pipe thoughtfully. "Guest... ? What 'guest'?" he enquired.  
  
Still chuckling, Harry climbed up the steps and knelt down beside the shaking Nixus, who had covered her eyes with her wings. "Come on, Kientra, it's only Mr. Smokey," he assured, grinning. "He's a friend of ours."  
  
Cautiously, Kientra peeped out. "Are... are you sure?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Absolutely, no need to be afraid."  
  
"But... but he gave me a scare, and... " And then she caught sight of me leaning against the wall, still laughing hard while Mr. Smokey looked on amusedly . Immediately, a nasty frown crossed her face. "Mr. Potter... " she said slowly, "You must be somewhat mad to think that I am ever scared of anything." Spreading her wings, she flew down the stairs with arrogant grace, sticking her nose up. "So you," she scowled at me, touching down, "can just be quiet." Harry quickly turned his laughter into a disgusted frown.  
  
"WHY, you little... !" I cried, shaking my fist at her. It is a well-known fact in Hogwarts that Melody Aira Snow simply cannot tolerate rudeness!  
  
"Ahem... and this is our... 'guest'?" Mr. Smokey interrupted.  
  
I lowered my fist, muttering. "Unfortunately, yes."  
  
The thin but jolly old man in the portrait observed Kientra for some time, puffing his pipe and probably thinking about her manners. Finally, he spoke. "Well, my beauty, I'm very sorry to have scared you like that. Hope you forgive old Smokey here." He tipped his grey-striped, floppy hat politely.  
  
Kientra, however, didn't seem to appreciate his grace, for she merely rolled her eyes and slurred, "Whatever... can we all get a move on now? I see no reason whatsoever to stay here talking to an unintelligent picture that goes around scaring people whenever he likes."  
  
Mr. Smokey looked aghast. "I beg your pardon?"  
  
"I'm extremely sorry, Mr. Smokey," I gasped, equally aghast. "I apologise profusely on her behalf. Now," I started pushing Harry and that... that... creature up the stairs again, "I think we'd better leave."  
  
Safely up on the second floor, Harry and I turned angrily to the little horse, our eyes blazing . "Listen here, you little spawn of Satan!" I yelled, "Hogwarts has never seen such rudeness since that Malfoy slime- ball, and I sure as Hell am not going to let you shock the hair-roots out of everybody here! If you don't watch it, I'll... I'll... "  
  
"You might not have noticed," Kientra sneered, "but it is your peppery temper that's shocking the hair-roots out of everyone." A look of smug triumph crossed her face .  
  
Seething, I looked around. True, everyone in that hallway was staring wide- eyed and open-mouthed, even though they'd seen my temper before. Some terrified First-Year newcomers who had peeked out their classroom doors hurriedly ran back inside the minute they caught my gaze, while some others quickly looked in another direction, pretending to look busy.  
  
I faced Kientra again, still sizzling, my eyes glowing red. No, really glowing. As in fiery, striking red. You see, when Rhondella tried to possess me during my first years here, she accidentally left a 'mark'; the ability to change my eye colour. This is because whenever she... how do I put this... 'attacked' me, my eyes would turn a frightening, horrifying blood-red, scary even to the most morbid of beings. Now, of course, there's not a colour in the universe I can't change them into. Harry was left with a scar; I was left with this! Hah! In your face, Potter!  
  
But anyway... back to my sizzling senses...  
  
Kientra seemed completely unmoved by my anger. In fact, she stuck her tongue out at me!  
  
That's it!! I thought to myself. I raised my hand, ready to slap that smug white mug sore. However, Mr. Saint Potter stopped me. "Mel!" he hissed, frowning slightly, "we'll be rid of her before you know it! Now calm down."  
  
"Hello, fuming Gryffindors and a horse."  
  
I hardly had to turn around. That kind of greeting could only, and ONLY, have come from well-known Christopher Louis Barog.  
  
"Hello, Chris... " I muttered half-heartedly through gritted teeth.  
  
Chris was a Fifth-Year Gryffindor student well liked for his cheery, funny personality (like me, hehehe). He was tall, with a mop of blond hair that was always immaculately neat. His strange bottle-green eyes had earned him the nickname 'Bottles' years ago. His was a face of cheeky matureness, and he always hung out with me and Harry.  
  
"So," he began, "what's all the fuss abou... holy bog-monsters, is that a Nixus?" he exclaimed, cutting his own sentence off . His tone had clearly indicated disbelief, which was what prompted me to say, "Believe it, Chris (I never called him by his nickname), you are staring at the rudest, most arrogant, snobbish Nixus that ever graced this blessed Earth! Oh, and guess what? It talks, unfortunately!" I threw my hands up in disgust, getting worked up again.  
  
Harry nodded and smartly added, "Yes, and all in one tiny package! Some things are just not worth being free... "  
  
Chris raised his eyebrows doubtfully. "It talks?" he said. Then, he grinned. "You really think my common sense is the size of baby bacteria? Everyone knows that talking Nixai are just a rumour."  
  
"There is truth in rumours, Mr. Brainless," Kientra huffed, making Chris jump. "And I'll have you know that I have a... "  
  
"Mane... I mean, name! She has a name, did you know?" I mocked, sizzling again. " 'Kientra', it seems... oh, and 'in the future, please address me properly'," I said, mocking the monstrosity's high voice. Clearly, I didn't exactly regard her as the apple of my eye. Sour apple maybe... no, 'rotten' is better.  
  
Chris nudged a still frowning Harry and whispered discreetly, "She's funny when she's in a temper."  
  
"I heard that, Barog."  
  
Kientra huffed at me again. "You're very irritating, did you know?" she scowled.  
  
"Oh, shut up, you bloody abomination!!" I hollered, shaking my fist again. Everyone stared for the third time (the second time was when I mocked Kientra), and the First-Years came running to their classroom doors once more to behold the scene. Considering the classes were only a few feet away, it was amazing that I hadn't been told off by the Professors teaching in there yet. ('We could've been killed! Or worse... expelled!')  
  
"Mel... come now... " Harry said gently, patting my shoulder. "Calm down, will you?" I could see that he was holding back a fit of laughter. Wonder what happened to his anger...  
  
Chris laughed lowly. "Oh, great and legendary Melody Snow," he snickered, "you do realise that you're letting a mere horse get to you." He shook his head in amusement.  
  
Kientra snorted. "A mere horse?! Excuse me, I am... "  
  
"A bloody abomination! How many times must I repeat myself?!"  
  
"Mel!" Chris laughed , his lip quivering, "It is just a horse! Besides," he added, "you were the one who... "  
  
"Ahem," Kientra interrupted, "I think I prefer the term 'elusive Nixus'." She shook her long mane grandly.  
  
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Chris dismissed. "Mel, I thought you were the one who put down 'pet Nixus' on your wishlist every birthday and Christmas."  
  
I frowned. "True, but I certainly didn't wish for the spawn of the Satan of all Satans!"  
  
That did it. Harry and Chris burst out laughing and had to lean back against the wall for support , making the peeping First-Years jump. "Can we not start cursing again?" they laughed. Don't you just hate it when you're throwing a fit and the people around you just laugh?  
  
I drew a long breath and tried to calm my sizzling senses (I love to say that, don't I?). "How'd you... get her... anyway?" Chris managed to say, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.  
  
Before I could answer. Harry piped in. "Long story. Mel, you go on to Hagrid's, and I'll join after I've explained to Bottles here." He started ushering me off. "But Harry," I protested, "you know that I might just impale her on Anya's horn if you're not there to stop me!"  
  
Harry just smiled. "You wouldn't do that," he said.  
  
"Oh, and why ever not?" I challenged.  
  
"Because," he grinned, "Anya doesn't have a horn. Nice try, though. Now go on."  
  
Grumbling, I started to stalk off, the bloody beast trotting reluctantly behind. Passing the still-peeping First-Years, I stopped and flashed them a look. "Back... in... class," I hissed through gritted teeth. In they ran and slammed the door. From behind me, I heard two voices almost shouting in laughter.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* I sat with Hagrid on the few smooth rocks beside his hut, watching Anya and the little devil trying to interact... maybe even get along. I had been grumbling softly to myself, and now Hagrid looked up at me. "Well, blimey, Melody, yer the one who wished fer a Nixus a few yeers back," he stated, rubbing his beard. It is another well-known fact in Hogwarts that Melody Aira Snow has always wanted a pet Nixus almost more than anything else.  
  
I sighed . "I know, Hagrid, but not one that... bad." I pointed to Kientra, who was flying around Anya's head, scrutinising her every inch. Not surprisingly, Anya seemed irritated.  
  
Hagrid gave a grunt of affection. "Well now, yer gonna 'ave tuh give 'er time tuh grow out of it, then. She's just a baby, after all. No need to be so hard on 'er, alright?" he winked , then continued sharpening the knife he used to trim tiny plants.  
  
"Hello," came a familiar voice beside us. I turned, slightly surprised. "Eranoy?" I laughed, "When did you get out of hospital?"  
  
He shrugged. "About ten minutes ago." Then, he smiled. "Hello. Hagrid."  
  
"Hello there, Eranoy. See yer wrist's all fine now," greeted the gentle giant. "Well," Eranoy smiled, climbing up to sit on the rock beside me, "Madam Pomfrey is a miracle." He watched the two animals in fascination. "Harry told me all about Kientra," he whispered, "She's a beauty."  
  
Hagrid coughed. "Well, uh, looks can be quite the deceiving little devils, young Malfoy, and in this case... " He paused. "Well... yer gonna 'ave tuh see fer yerself. And yuh won't 'ave tuh look close tuh see what I mean," he added, nodding.  
  
"Speaking of Harry... " I said, "Where is he? He was supposed to join us."  
  
Eranoy fidgeted with his robe, like he always did, and looked at me. "He told me to tell you that he has to go, uh, 'kill some players'... and he said that you would know what he meant."  
  
I grinned. "Quidditch practise. Tomorrow's the first game."  
  
The three of us sat in silence for a while, watching, as an obviously bored Anya made her way back to her stable (Hagrid built it, by the way), yawning . Shooting a bored look at Kientra, she shut the door, pulling it with her teeth. The Nixus was outraged, and threw a fit.  
  
"Anya!!" she bellowed, "Open this door now, for pity's sake! I can put up with your mistress's yelling, but I'll have you know right now that I will not be ignored! Anya... Anya, do you hear me?! I know you do, so open up! Are you not much honoured to have me as an acquaintance?! How dare you do this to me!! This is dishonour!! I command you to open this door! This is Keintra you're being rude to!! I'll have you know that I'll... "  
  
As she ranted and raved on, I shot Eranoy a look. "There you have it... she's a beauty."  
  
Eranoy grimaced and shook his head, while Hagrid stared and commented, "I'm telling yuh, Melody, that horse o' yers can be stone deaf when she wants to."  
  
"You are putting the name of all Abraxans to disgrace, missy! I bet Hogwarts has never seen such attitude!! I'm pounding on the door now... you hear it? Anya, you're worse than your mistress, and I can assure you that that isn't a very good thing! For the millionth time, open this door!!"  
  
I sighed. "A Nixus has many magical powers... and I suppose one of them is not being able to run out of breath."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	4. Chapter 4

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Another ten points for Hufflepuff!" Enthusiastic Gryffindor announcer Ernest Smith reached down and pushed the right side score button, receiving an equally enthusiastic response from the Hufflepuff supporters.  
  
Chris clapped his hand over his eyes. "Do me a favour, all of you," he groaned, "Until this match is through, don't tell me the... "  
  
"Just great, we're behind forty to sixty!" exclaimed Amanda Byrnes above all the noise. Chris flashed her an irritated look. "... score," he finished through gritted teeth.  
  
Harry, standing next to Amanda, looked around. "Well, at least they're making good effort," he sighed, but his tone clearly betrayed his growing worries. "Yer tellin' me," nodded Hagrid, getting a good view from his trusty old binoculars. "They're really goin' downright mad!"  
  
"Come on, Gryffindor," I whispered softly.  
  
A long, pearly-white tail brushed against my nose for the third time. I swiped it away roughly and looked up. "Kientra!" I cried, "Get down here at once! We don't need tails as head-decorations!" Grumbling, she hovered lower until she was level with my shoulder. She had been complaining earlier on about being dragged to the Quidditch field, but after Harry threatened to put her in place of the Quaffle, there was less noise... especially after she discovered that the Quaffles get hit.  
  
A loud cheer arose from the Hufflepuff side of the field. No doubt, something good had happened, but what?  
  
"Blimey, what are they so happy about now?" Hagrid puzzled, searching the entire Quidditch field with his binoculars. The four of us craned our necks, trying to spot what all the fuss was about. I had hoped that my guess was wrong, but no...  
  
"That!" I pointed, "Hufflepuff's seeker is after the Snitch!"  
  
A few Gryffindors behind me gasped . "Where's our seeker, then?" someone cried. Hagrid grunted. "Hold yer horses, now," he said, "I'm lookin'!"  
  
"Bernie's over there!" Amanda yelled, brown eyes wide, pointing to... the other side of the field?! Oh, great. Anyway, my worries were short-lived... for a while.  
  
"He's spotted it!" hollered Chris excitedly, pumping his fist in the air (yes, we Hogwarts people really do love our Quidditch matches). All of us, even Kientra, watched, wide-eyed and leaning so far out we could've fallen, as Bernie Smith blazed across the field, dodging Bludgers and players left and right.  
  
Hold on, I thought, Isn't that a...  
  
"Bernie, watch out!" yelled Harry at the top of his lungs. So he'd spotted the speeding Bludger too! It was coming fast from behind Bernie, and judging by the speed of it, it was highly possible that there would be a very nasty collision soon.  
  
It was impossible for Bernie to hear Harry, of course, but someone else did; Ferdania Ferbott, one of the Gryffindor beaters. "Don't worry," she cried, flying past us, "Freakin' Fantastic Ferdania's on it!" She flew off fast, dark ponytail streaming behind her. Chris coughed. "She'd better BE Freakin' Fantastic!"  
  
Harry, Chris, Amanda, Kientra, Hagrid and I watched in suspense as Bernie flew straight on, determined to catch the Snitch... oblivious of the approaching Bludger! "HURRY, Ferdania!" Amanda shrieked. Hurry she did, waving wildly at the players to get out of her way. Never have I seen a Silver Arrow broomstick go that fast!  
  
Kientra frowned and rolled her eyes. "I don't see what all this fuss is about... it's not like that thing is going to harm him."  
  
"Oh, shut up!" said Amanda, not bothering to hide her dislike. Kientra's mouth dropped open.  
  
Bernie was flying on...  
  
The Bludger was flying closer...  
  
"This is not good!" I cried. In my calculation, Ferdania might be too late; she was quite a distance away! But then...  
  
"Yes!" Happy cries emerged from a few Gryffindors as Ferdania gave a burst of speed and made a rocket dive upwards behind Bernie, beating the yapping Bludger out of the way just in time! Alright then... I was wrong. But then again, I've never been good in Arithmancy...  
  
"Talk about the last second!" clapped Harry. "Go, Gryffindor!" cheered Chris excitedly. Loud hoots and whistles emerged from us Gryffs as Ferdania waved her beater's bat in sweet triumph. Bernie, meanwhile, had turned around in surprise and now gave Ferdania an appreciative nod and a thumbs- up . Kientra merely rolled her eyes. "Anyone could have done that," she slurred.  
  
I was watching the dear seeker so closely that I didn't realise something else had happened... something 'good'... something that made Ernest Smith holler into the mic, "Gryffindor scores! Ten points!" Surprised cheers, but cheers nonetheless, arose again, only to stop abruptly at Ernest's flustered words, "Sorry... sorry! I meant 'Hufflepuff'!" Hufflepuff's cries of protest quickly turned into happy ones, followed by loud groans from us. The score was now at a difficult forty to seventy.  
  
"Blimey," muttered Hagrid, lowering his binoculars, "Ernest had better watch what he says, or there could be a real riot!" For a while, the five of us stared at the circle marks the binoculars had left on Hagrid's eyes. Think 'giant panda'...  
  
Chris turned back to the field. A surprised look crossed his face. Straightening himself up, he nudged me. "What does Smith think he's doing?"  
  
I shot a quick look. "Keeping score, like always."  
  
"Not that Smith," Chris groaned. He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around "That one!" he pointed. "Oh," I said, and looked.  
  
Indeed, what was Bernie doing? He had stopped in mid-air and was looking around frantically, a panicked expression on his face. It dawned on me then; That could only mean one thing. "I think he's lost the Hufflepuff seeker... AND the Snitch!" I cried.  
  
"Damn you, Smith! He's near the hoops!" yelled ever-wild Amanda, pointing crazily and jumping up and down.  
  
It might have been a miracle of some sort, but amazingly, Bernie seemed to hear, for he zoomed straight to the three tall hoops, where the other seeker was chasing the Snitch around and around the poles. He flew on faster, robe and blond hair streaming behind him, dodging the Quaffle, a player, the Snitch... hold on, the Snitch?!  
  
"Damn you, Smith!" yelled Amanda again.  
  
Hagrid gave a snort. "Ye might have thought that he had SEEN the other seeker flyin' toward 'im, but no... That boy needs glasses!"  
  
Realising his mistake, Bernie made a speedy U-turn, his broom skidding sideways roughly from the sudden force. He just managed to brake to avoid smashing into some of the Professors in their seats (I saw Professor Sprout crossing her heart in shock). Regaining control of the broom, he flew out into the middle of the field and blazed on determinedly, eyes on the Snitch, wherever it was... I couldn't see it.  
  
A slow feeling of despair crept into me as Johnny, the Huff's seeker, flew up behind Bernie and overtook him quite easily. Bernie wouldn't have it; he looked up, frowned, leaned further out and overtook Johnny impressively. Johnny wouldn't have it either; he sped on remarkably fast.  
  
Overtake after overtake happened until Johnny finally got irritated and knocked Bernie hard to one side, sending his broomstick flying off and spinning in the air rather harshly. It must've been horrifying, especially since Bernie once had to bear with the name 'He-Who-Is-Scared-Of-Heights'.  
  
Harry gasped and Hagrid looked through his binoculars again. "Alright now, it's slowin' down... " He peered anxiously into them. "Slowin'... ."  
  
"Look; the seeker's going to fall!" I heard someone cry. Too true, he WAS going to fall, and very soon at that! The broom had been spinning in the air and was now slowing down... and finally coming to a halt. Bernie didn't look so good, though. He was swaying slightly, dazed, and his head was hung in dizziness . He put his hand to his head.  
  
While the other players continued their jobs, Bernie's broomstick suddenly started to dip low, jerking and swaying dangerously. The poor boy's mouth dropped open and he hung on for dear life, desperately trying to control the broom. It didn't seem to work; the broom continued it's scary descent.  
  
Kientra huffed. "Well, that's what comes of having nothing better to do than to chase a stupid golden ball." How heartless can you get?!  
  
Down he went! "Seeker overboard!" yelled Harry, signalling wildly to someone on the field. That 'someone' was Kirk Crane, Gryffindor team captain, who was closest to us. With a nod, he sped off.  
  
It was amazing; Kirk managed to fly halfway across the field in two seconds flat (Speed all around today!), zipping left and right, dodging the scattered players and balls expertly. Speeding, he made a diagonal dive downwards... just in time to catch the doomed youth on his broom! "An amazing rescue!" Ernest yelled, not caring if he made anyone deaf. "Let us all salute him!" Relieved eyes watched as Kirk brought a pale and shaking Bernie down to solid ground, while amazed cheers erupted from the enthralled audience.  
  
While all this was going on, what else had been happening? Well, guess for yourself...  
  
"He's got it!" Ernest shrieked.  
  
Heads turned in his direction. Even Kirk and Bernie looked up, surprised, Bernie growing paler for some reason. "Eh?" Hagrid looked confused. "Who's got what? Who's got what?" His question was soon answered by our overly- excited announcer. "Johnny Erlong catches the Snitch, scoring 150 points for Hufflefupp... I mean, Hufflepuff! This match is over!"  
  
What?  
  
What?!  
  
A shrill whistle blew. "Hufflepuff wins!" Screams of joy were heard from the Huffs as they jumped up and down happily, waving their house flags and hugging each other . On the field, Johnny Erlong's back was being patted sore.  
  
It was no question that Gryffindor was disappointed; shoulders sagged and heavy sighs emerged . Amanda clapped Harry's shoulder (this she had to stand on tiptoe to do) and gave him a reassuring smile . "Don't worry, coach," she grinned, "Gryffindor's teamwork will always be a million times better than Hufflepuff's guts... or Slytherin and Ravenclaw, at that. We all know that." She grinned again, braces showing, and clapped his back again.  
  
"That's right, Harry," nodded Hagrid affectionately. "Teamwork's a lot more important than winnin'... " He flashed Chris, who was teasing Kientra, a look, since Chris had bet someone two Knuts that Gryffindor would win, "... and I bet ye can drill that into 'em even more." He patted Harry's shoulder. "Just ye... uh, remember that now, eh?" he winked . "Now come one." He lumbered off.  
  
Following Hagrid down the wooden steps, I nudged Harry. "You seem to be proud of yourself... coach." I grinned.  
  
He shook his head. "No... I'm just glad that Bernie wasn't hurt. And besides," he added, "I'm proud of them, not of myself."  
  
Chris grinned and turned to Kientra, who was looking sulky as usual. "And you," he said, "should remember that no matter what you say, the spirit of Quidditch can never be dampened. Now," he laughed, "Let's go see that unfortunate seeker of a Smith."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	5. Chapter 5

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* I blinked sleepily and looked around. The Gryffindor common-room was completely empty, with not a student in sight. Good. My wish had come true. ... But then again, no one would really be here at 5:30 in the morning, now would they? They're all definitely still snoring...  
  
Rubbing my hands together, I shivered. Cold. Hurriedly, I made my way to the fireplace, squinting to see. My slippers sank into the deep, soft carpet as I walked. I knelt down and whipped out my crystal wand (one of my dad's crazy experiments had turned it into unbreakable crystal... ) and pointed it at the still fireplace. "Incendio," I whispered. Yellow flames rose up and blazed with the kind of soft whoosh that only fires make, illuminating my face in the dark.  
  
Yawning , I made my way to a comfortable armchair and sank gratefully into its velvety depths. I sat still for a while, taking the comfort in. Then, my half-opened eyes slowly slid to what I was clutching in my other hand. It was the reason I had slipped down here at this hour; to have a consultation with myself.  
  
I raised the Me-rror and stared straight at my own self, thinking how sleepy I looked, and how my hair seemed in a rather 'nice' disarray . My reflection stared back at me rather curiously, then spoke.  
  
"And why aren't you... or, we, asleep yet?" it asked, raising an eyebrow, just like I love to do.  
  
I yawned again . "I tried. Kientra snores!" I looked at the Me-rror's frame, thinking for the millionth time how pretty it was, all sparkly and silvery-white.  
  
My reflection yawned too, and shook her head. "Don't do that; it's contagious!" She smoothed out her hair. "Anyway, you didn't have any trouble sleeping yesterday."  
  
"That's because the bloody beast chose to drool yesterday... and drooling is a silent habit," I added. "Unlike, snoring, of course."  
  
My reflection nodded. "Darn disgusting it was to wake up and find the pillow saliva-stained, wasn't it?"  
  
I gave a sigh of relief. "Finally, someone who doesn't 'reproach' me for complaining about her!"  
  
"You forget; I'm you. I'm everything you've got hidden in your heart, so of course I know what you do and think like you do. So, any word from the MoM?"  
  
I fiddled with the velvet on the armchair. "Not a whisper! Some ministry they are... " I grumbled. "Oh, knock it off," my reflection scolded, "Deep inside you know that you can't expect them to reply in half a blink of a dragon's eye."  
  
I blinked. "True, true. Anyway, I need your help."  
  
"I know," she smiled . "You really should be a tiny bit more patient with her, you know."  
  
"Argh!" I cried softly, "I know! It's really bugging the nightlights out of me! I mean, I know I shouldn't yell at her so much, but then again, she's very rude, and... "  
  
"And there's not much point in apologising to her, is there?" my reflection interrupted.  
  
"No."  
  
She shook her head again . "Remember what Hagrid told you? About making allowances... ?" She fidgeted with the collar of her pyjamas.  
  
"I gave up on even considering that."  
  
She gave a mocking snort. "Oh sure... and yet, you're here at this hour seeking advice from me on how to make things better between you two." I rolled my eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Never mind. Anyway, knowing you... I mean, myself, I know that Hagrid's right. And I know you try to control yourself, but... " She shook her finger at me. "... you just can't stand her rudeness, can you?"  
  
I turned my gaze outside the window. The whole world seemed covered in a light really-early-morning mist, making everything look so mysteriously 'frosted' and beautiful, especially the trees. "You know everything," I mumbled.  
  
"Of course I do; I'm you."  
  
My gaze drifted off again, this time to the fire. It crackled merrily, dancing and leaping as if it were alive. Its warm homey sight was making me sleepy again. I held back another yawn. "So what do you think I should do?"  
  
"What do you think?"  
  
I gave a small laugh. "Honestly, I'm too sleepy to do any heart-digging for an answer. You're my heart, you tell me."  
  
She huffed. "You can never be tired to search your soul," she said, in a tone that was almost poetic, "Answers that lie in your heart are answers that are most true; why lock them up?"  
  
I raised any eyebrow. "Nice to know I'm this virtuous."  
  
"Don't let it get stuck in your head."  
  
"Hey," I said, "Both you and I know that realising one's good points to a good limit is merely confidence. And there's... "  
  
"A fine line between confidence and arrogance. I know." It was her turn to roll her eyes.  
  
I sighed slightly . "Well, I guess that after thirty seconds of heart- digging, I've decided to... " I grimaced. "... to... "  
  
"Just say it!" she snapped, "You're going to go easy on her, try to be nice to her, and even apologise if she does." She gestured with her hands dramatically.  
  
I sighed again. "If I must, I must. Goodnight." I put the Me-rror down, thinking how completely opposite-like my reflection was, and yet... she was really me. The real me. "I have to get to know myself better," I yawned. Curling up comfortably, I went to sleep.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* I can do this, I can do this, I assured myself. For the twentieth time, I glanced at Kientra, looking around with a rather bored look on her face and dragging her hooves along.  
  
I had decided on a truce. If she could stop being so rude, I would be nicer and stop yelling, even be patient with her if I had to. Thinking about it, it just wasn't right if I made the first move and apologised for yelling at her rudeness; she deserved it. Besides, an unexpected apology would probably make her more arrogant, and honestly, I was getting a sore throat from screaming at her everyday, and I hate her smug looks...  
  
She coughed. "So... where are we going?" she asked, reluctantly turning to look up at me.  
  
"To keep an eye on some students in detention," I replied blankly, striding through the corridor with tired steps. "Well, well, well," Kientra snorted, "For once, someone didn't call me 'a bloody beast' or 'an unbelievable abomination', or... "  
  
I sighed. "Alright, you, let's have a deal."  
  
"No."  
  
"Hey... " I frowned, "Just listen, will you? You stop being so rude, I'll not scream so much. Deal?"  
  
"No. I'll be as rude as I like."  
  
The fact that I didn't throw a fit or slap her there and then showed how tired I was. "Have it your way," I mumbled, knowing she wasn't going to be here much longer.  
  
We stopped in front of the massive doors that led to the Great Hall. Kientra pulled a face. "Why are we here? Breakfast was only half an hour ago!" she said  
  
"You'll see," I mumbled, and pushed the doors open.  
  
Everything was still; the candles in the air were motionless and unlit, the rows and rows of tables were empty, devoid of any cutlery, the ceiling showed a cloudless blue sky, no students on broomsticks were zipping past the windows. No sign of life anywhere.  
  
I walked up to the table where the Professors usually sat, puzzling over why there was nobody there. "That's strange... " I said, "They should be here by now."  
  
Kientra flew around the room, sliding along above the tables. "Humph," she scoffed, "I don't blame them... spending detention with you, indeed!" She pulled a face that suggested a desire to vomit.  
  
I ignored her; something had caught my attention.  
  
"Well... " I grinned, "Whatever it is, something tells me that they're here. Although," I coughed, "I don't... *cough*... see them anywhere... "  
  
I went around the table and grinned. "Hello, boys."  
  
Two groans escaped them as they stood up, dusting themselves off. "What are you," said Eric Gorm, "A runaway from the cast of 'Sixth Sense'?" He scratched his head, puzzled.  
  
I held up my hand. "Spare me; I hate that movie! Anyway, it wasn't hard to spot the robe... " I pointed, "... and the foot sticking out from the side."  
  
Jacob Forr dug his companion in the ribs. "I told you to pull them in," he whispered. Then, he grabbed my arm. "By the way, the... 'thing' isn't here, is she?" he said softly.  
  
"Unfortunately," I answered, "She's right over... " I looked around. "Aha, there," I pointed.  
  
The two boys looked up. There she was, flying around the ceiling, puzzled as can be. After three days at Hogwarts, she still couldn't figure out whether the ceiling was the sky, or just... well, the ceiling.  
  
Eric the Cheeky grinned. "Ahoy there, Your Snobbiness," he called out, "How's the weather like up there? Any rain to wash the rudeness out?"  
  
"Shut up or I'll ram you with my horn," she said, sticking her nose up... and promptly banging into the ceiling nose-first.  
  
Happy laughter escaped us as we slapped each other high-fives . The Nixus merely huffed and flew on proudly, her nose all red. Our laughter was cut short when the great doors burst open and a flushed, gasping young boy ran in, clutching a broomstick. An old Nimbus model, by the looks of it. "That's the reason we were hiding," Eric whispered to me. "To scare HIM."  
  
"S-Sorry I'm late," the boy stammered. "I... I... misplaced my broomstick." He pushed his square-shaped glasses up his long nose. His puffy, curly brown hair was in complete disarray, and his blue braces stuck out rather grotesquely. What a nerd!  
  
Well-built Jacob laughed. "I'll help you with that, Andrew," he grinned, plucking the broomstick away from the boy's arms rather easily. It was then I noticed that the broom was rather big for the tiny boy. Completely unsuitable...  
  
"Andrew, hmm?" I smiled. "Don't believe I've seen you around." I extended my hand.  
  
Adjusting his robe rather awkwardly, he shook my hand, looking a bit flustered. "A-Andrew Pixel," he stammered, looking at the floor. He had a rather 'clumsy' look around him, I must say.  
  
Eric nudged me. "Of course you don't see him around," he whispered, "That geek-freak loses himself in the library, reading all day!"  
  
I laughed. "Alright, alright, down to business. Professor Sprout tells me you made fungus-infested vines grow out of Ms. Morsha's ears. Is that true?" I crossed my arms and stared at them calmly but expectedly. "Completely by accident," said Andrew, pushing his glasses up his nose again. "We never meant it!"  
  
"He didn't," whispered Eric, and Jacob nodded mischievously. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Kientra making rude faces at them.  
  
"Must have been a sight," I smiled . "Now, you all have your broomsticks? Good. Do you know what you're going to do?"  
  
Slow shakes of the head. "Professor Sprout wasn't in a good mood, and she yelled at us a bit too fast for us to hear our fate," Jacob said rather cheekily. "She did say something about the Great Hall and bringing our broomsticks and that you'd be watching us."  
  
"Well, boys," I smiled, "Get ready for a most 'pleasurable' detention! Today, you're going to... " I grinned, " Wash the windows!"  
  
Dismay crossed their faces as the three Third-Year Ravenclaws stared at the massive window, completely aghast. "B--but--but--bu--but... " stammered Andrew, his jaw nearly touching the floor. "But it's huge!" Jacob finished for him. "Bigger than my sister's rear end!" piped in Eric, "And believe me, I thought nothing could beat it."  
  
"Oh, stop whining and follow me." We walked up to the window, where the boys discovered that there were three buckets on the floor. "Those buckets are already filled, so everything is set," I said. "Move, move, move!" I clapped my hands together once.  
  
The three muttering boys stepped up to the wooden buckets and whipped out their wands reluctantly. They cleared their throats. "Wingardium Levio... "  
  
"Hold it!" I cried, "Are your wands pointing the right way?"  
  
Silence. Then, bursts of laughter . "Honestly, Mel," laughed Jacob Forr, "What do you think we are? Of course they're pointing the right way." The other two were still giggling. I let out a sigh of relief, even though I knew I sounded stupid. "Carry on," I said, gesturing.  
  
Kientra watched with some mild amusement as the boys cast the spell, hopped onto their broomsticks and took different positions at the window; top, middle and bottom. Each grabbed a wet rag from the floating buckets and started wiping, grumbling slightly . "This is going to take at least 2 hours!" moaned Jacob, his sandy hair already slightly sprinkled with water drops. "You're telling me... " muttered Eric.  
  
"Make that four," I said, smiling in sympathy.  
  
The boys turned to me at once, horrified. "What?"  
  
"Simple really," I answered, "A window has to be washed on both sides, now doesn't it?"  
  
"Excuse me?" a high, horrified voice cried. With a frown, we turned around.  
  
Her Royal Rudeness Kientra was hovering at one end of the Slytherin table (how suitable), shocked disgust all over her face. "You do not mean to tell me," she gulped, "that I am about to waste four whole hours out of my precious life stuck here with... " She made a face, "... you?!"  
  
Eric rolled his eyes . "On the contrary, little Nixy," he said, raising his eyebrows, "We should be saying that."  
  
"Mel," Pixel called, "Did you let Anya out?"  
  
I looked up, confused. "She's always out. Why?" He shook his head . "Um... I just thought I saw her flying around over... "  
  
I rushed to the window. "What? Where?"  
  
He looked alarmed at my reaction and pointed. "Just down there."  
  
"But she knows she's not allowed to fly around unless I'm with her! She's going to get us both in trouble!" I cried, looking around and feeling a bit frustrated. It wasn't enough that my horse had attitude, now it was developing Harry's 'certain disregard for the rules'!  
  
"She's white, isn't she?" said Jacob suddenly. "Obviously," I said, turning to look at him. "Then why did I see her as grey... ?" he said. "Me too!" Andrew piped in. "I didn't," said Eric, sounding a bit disappointed to be left out, "And of course Anya's white. It must have been a trick of the sunlight," he dismissed.  
  
Maybe, I thought. Maybe not.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	6. Chapter 6

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Melody, Melody, wake up! Melody!"  
  
"Wha-?" I yawned and rubbed my eyes. I was so sleepy! Kientra seemed like a blur. "Mmf... leemeealone... " I mumbled, pulling the covers up higher. "But Mel... " she protested, pulling them down with her teeth. I groaned. "Iwantastayasleep... " I pulled the covers up again and turned on my side, irritated.  
  
Kientra's patience (if she had any) ran out. "It's my mother, you idiot!" she hissed.  
  
My eyes flew open. "My dear Nixus... " I whispered, "What did you say?"  
  
"My mother's outside!" she rasped. "She's come to get me!"  
  
I sat bolt upright. The most beautiful realisation ever had dawned on me like a holy light. "Does this mean... " I whispered, "that you'll finally be going off?"  
  
Kientra rolled her eyes, muttering . "Yes. Now if you... "  
  
"Hallelujah, the Lord loves me!" I cried, jumping out of bed . Kientra looked absolutely horrified . "Shh!" she hissed, frowning. "Sorry," I grinned, taking a quick look around to make sure I hadn't woken anyone up. My eyes had started flashing from one colour to another, indicating how excited I was.  
  
Kientra looked at me. "Well?" she demanded. Snapping out of my happy reverie, I stepped up to the window, which was beside my bed, trying my best to be silent. I clutched my wand tightly. Even in my happiness, I couldn't help but pray to God that her mother wasn't as horrible as she was... or worse.  
  
Both of us peeped out. The pale, silvery moonlight was shining bright and radiant onto the peaceful land below. Not a soul was seen, not a shadow moved. All of Hogwarts was silently slumbering. And then I saw her.  
  
A magnificent adult Nixus stood on the grass below, gently fanning her powdery grey wings. She was looking up at us with a gentle expression on her face, and her shiny white mane gleamed radiantly, like a pearl. Such majestic form... I was entranced.  
  
My eyes (which weren't flashing anymore, by the way) followed her as she flew, silent as an owl, up to the window. She stopped at our level, hovering not a foot away from my face. I stared in complete awe. I realised then that this was the horse that the boys had spotted in detention. No wonder Anya seemed confused when I gave her that lecture earlier on! Great, now I felt guilty...  
  
A light breeze billowed around my head as Kientra, with a big sigh of relief, flew past me and hovered beside her mother. "What took you so long, mother?" I heard her whine.  
  
The adult Nixus slowly turned to look at the little one. "Hush," my child," she whispered in a voice so willowy and gentle, like an elfin queen. The ethereal quality of her voice amazed me. She turned to me. "Melody Snow," she said softly. "You are much respected and honoured among us creatures of the magical wild, my lady. I feel I am not worthy of such an honour." She bowed her head low. Kientra merely rolled her eyes. "Mother... " she hissed through gritted teeth, "Isn't this a little... degrading?"  
  
Her grumbles were simply ignored. The mother lifted her head and continued speaking. "It is my great pleasure to thank you, my lady, for guarding my young one," she said.  
  
"Oh no, no" I stammered, finding my voice again, "she wasn't... er, much of a problem." I found myself staring at my feet, bewildered that I might say something wrong. Goodness knows could happen. Baby Nixai are one thing, but adults...  
  
The magnificent creature gave an amused laugh. "I know, my lady. Many times have we tried to cure her of her spitefulness... to no avail." She shot the 'young one' a frosty look. Hehehe...  
  
She turned back to me, her long nose so close it made me jump back in alarm. "My lady," she began, "I feel my gratitude is not complete until I give you a few things."  
  
I was surprised. "Things?"  
  
Kientra groaned. "Mother, this really isn't necessary," she muttered again.  
  
"You will answer to your father later, young lady," the older Nixus said calmly, not turning her gaze away from me. Doom crossed Kientra's face . Hehehe...  
  
"Now, my lady," she continued, "if you would just outstretch your hand." Blankly, I did as I was told slowly, wondering what in the name of pygmy shrews was going to happen.  
  
Slowly, she lowered her head, the gleaming white horn pointed at my hand. In a moment of pure frightened reaction, I pulled my hand back with a gasp of dismay.  
  
Her eyes stared deep into mine as she shook her head slowly. "My lady," she whispered gently, "know only that by no costs, be it treasure or all of the great Lord's heavenly powers, would I ever harm you. No, I would never bring myself to do so." She fixed me with a warm, trusting look that somehow completely banished my fears.  
  
I let out a long breath and nodded. "I trust you."  
  
That seemed to please her very much, for she smiled broadly and gave a soft, happy neigh. "How wonderful it is," she smiled . She lowered her head again, horn pointed. This time, I felt no fear, just curiosity. What was she going to do?  
  
I saw her flash me a quick, warm glance. Then she shut her misty blue eyes tight. It looked like she was concentrating fiercely on something, focusing hard. Her horn... it started to glow brightly, shine with all the radiance of a thousand moons, the purity of a thousand doves, and all the sparkle of a thousand stars. Completely indescribable. I was dazzled, not being able to look away from it, my hand still outstretched. It felt slightly warm and quite pleasant.  
  
My already wide eyes grew wider as I watched the heavenly light grow smaller and fade away... until only the tip of the long, pointed horn shone. And just when it seemed like it was going to vanish... it poured out.  
  
For a while, the room was filled with beautiful bluish-white light, that grew dimmer until it was only bright enough for us to see what it was in my hand; Frosty blue 'things' that looked like liquid stars, pleasantly warm. I let out a gasp at the feeling of pure peace and bliss I felt when they touched my hand, growing as more of the light poured out and sparkling mystically. I couldn't say a word; my voice had been lost again.  
  
The Nixus raised her head. Her horn had stopped shining. "My lady," she said, still hovering in the still night air, "I now must ask you to close your hand." Her face was illuminated slightly by the blue light, as was Kientra's, who was staring with a tiny bit of interest.  
  
I did so, covering the light, and felt the liquid stars harden. They seemed to take shape into something. When I opened my hand, I could not believe my eyes . I staggered a few steps backwards in amazement and dropped my wand, hearing it clang when it hit the floor. The Nixus said something, but in my stunned state, I couldn't make it out, except that I could keep it or something like that. "Thank you," I whispered breathlessly.  
  
Kientra groaned again. "Are we done, mother?" she whined. "The mark, Kientra. Be patient," was the reply. The little one started grumbling again, but considering what was now in my possession, I couldn't have cared less. But then the older Nixus said something that surprised me.  
  
"There is one more thing to give, my lady."  
  
I looked up. "One more thing? But... but... " I stammered, "You... have done enough. There's no need, really. D-Don't trouble yourself," I babbled stupidly. It didn't discourage her. She smiled . "All the great treasures of man nor nature can never be enough to repay a kind deed done purely from the heart, my lady," she said.  
  
"You really don't have to," I mumbled, feeling guilty again. 'A kind deed'? 'Purely from the heart'? Unlikely.  
  
Suddenly, I realised that her horn had started glowing again, this time with a soft, pearly shine. "I do not tell untruths, my lady," she said, "This will hurt, but indeed, it will be a small price to pay for what comes with it. I pray you will forgive me."  
  
I gulped. That's a horn, for God's sake! I thought to myself . She leaned closer. As much as I wanted to squeeze my eyes shut or run away screaming, I simply couldn't. I stared, terrified, at the sharp tip pointed right at the very middle of my forehead, inching closer... closer...  
  
This time, there was no feeling of bliss; just a spark of pain at first, which grew into a horrible rush of dizzying pain, banging down on me so hard I felt like my head had exploded. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling myself gasp and tremble uncontrollably. My head started spinning and the pain travelled throughout my whole body. My breath felt like it had been knocked completely out of me; like someone had punched me straight in the chest. Repeatedly. I felt a tiny stream of blood run down my face, trailing between my eyes. Another rush of pain banged down on me. So intense it completely blurred my vision of the two Nixai and everything else. Everything was dimming... there was almost nothing I could see or feel, except the horrifying pain. I knew it; I was going to die.  
  
I let out a long, painful scream and blacked out.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	7. Chapter 7

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Ow... "  
  
I remember saying that a few seconds before I even opened my eyes. Slowly at first, but they grew wider when I sat up, looked around, and saw where I was.  
  
Nowhere .  
  
Honestly, that's all I could call it. Nowhere. What would you call a place made up entirely of swirling purple-pink mist, with nothing and no one in sight, devoid of any life? What would you call a place that sparked no memory of having heard of it, of having seen it, or having even dreamt it? What would you call a place that seemed to have no limits, no bounds, no borders, exit or entrance; a place that gives no hope, emotion or feeling to one unfortunate enough to set foot in it's realm? Nowhere.  
  
But that's where I was. I had no clue whatsoever where I was or how I had even got here in the first place. I had no memory! I remembered nothing! This was probably due to the fact that I was still dazed and in a blur from the pain earlier on, though. And that was basically all I remembered then; the pain.  
  
I looked around. No, not a soul to be seen. I brushed my hair away from my face. Blinked. Looked around again. Still nobody. The slowly swirling mist was making me cold. I shivered. I felt numb. Completely numb. Mustering up my strength, I managed to call weakly, "Is anyone here? Is there someone to help me? Hello?" I was surprised at how sad I sounded, yet failed to actually feel the sadness . Was there an inner realisation or feeling inside that I was yet to feel, but couldn't in my emotionally-paralysed state? My voice was that of a child, innocent and lost, ripped away from the safe world she had known and plunged into nothingness. My voice was that of a child that had no one to love her, no one to care for her, no one she knew around her, no one around her, and she had been crying for quite some time without realising it.  
  
Weakly, I got to my feet, swaying from my dizziness. "I have to find someone," I whispered. Somehow, I managed to walk, even though every tiny movement brought a sharp stab of pain to my every nerve. My vision was blurry and my head throbbed. I was so weak! What made me weaker was the thought that I might never find a way out of this... this... nothingness.  
  
A drop of what I thought was sweat trickled down my nose. How can I be sweating in this temperature? I thought to myself, utterly weary. I reached up tiredly and wiped it off...  
  
Blood!  
  
The back of my hand was covered in blood! It wasn't' sweat at all! I stared, horrified, as a series of terrifying thoughts and realisations flashed through my mind;  
  
Blood trickling from my forehead... a sharp, glowing horn... an unbearable feeling of horrible pain...  
  
The Nixus had pierced my forehead..  
  
Hagrid's words...  
  
"Ye better be watchin' yerselves there, Melody, Harry... a Nixus can kill yuh anytime it wants with that horn o' theirs."  
  
The horn kills.  
  
Chris's joked warning...  
  
"You think Erumpents are dangerous? Hah! That Nixus is close to a Basilisk and a Nundu, Mel. One prick of it's horn, and you're off to meet your Maker. Save me a seat in Heaven, alright?"  
  
The horn kills.  
  
The Nixus had pierced my forehead with her horn.  
  
The horn kills!  
  
Now I realised exactly what was that 'inner realisation' that I had not managed to feel earlier on. The realisation was that I was dead.  
  
I was dead.  
  
"Nooo!" I screamed. I sank to my knees, shivering and shaking uncontrollably. My fingers gripped at the misty, swirling ground, which was stained with drops of my blood. Shocked tears welled up in my eyes and streamed down my horrified face, while my breathing turned into choked gasps. I was dead! "No... no... " I sobbed.  
  
You will never know what it feels like to suddenly realise that you are dead. Just like the brilliant light that first glowed from the horn, it is indescribable. The shock that suddenly washes over you like a tidal wave is filled with such force and intensity that the impact leaves your head spinning and your chest aching terribly. Your body, like your breathing, becomes horribly shaky and unstable. Soon, the shock is joined by something far more powerful and intense; Fear. I can honestly say that the fear I felt then was the greatest and most painful fear that I had ever felt before. The moment that the fear hits you, all thoughts of Heaven and Hell race blindly through your terrified, aching mind. You know that they await you, you know that they are ahead. You can't go left, right, or back. You can't go back, which means that it is time to face either one.  
  
Somehow, you just know that Heaven is out of reach, and that the merciless fires of Hell are what you might be doomed to face. No matter how saintly you may have been in life, you can't help thinking of this terrifying possibility. All the horrible stories of torture, grief and pain in Hell dance about your brain, mocking and taunting mercilessly, about to claim your soul as one of their victims. The very thought you, you, being part of their torture, unable to escape or even cease the pain throughout all eternity, saddens yet scares you so much at the same time that you feel you can't breathe anymore and your chest pounds and aches again. Hot tears race down your face, accompanied by your heavy yet silent breaths. As you stand completely rooted to the spot by the shock, another heart-wrenching emotion appears; regret.  
  
Suddenly, you regret everything even slightly bad that you have ever done, and you feel like the most sinful person on earth, undeserving of forgiveness. The great God's divine light and mercy seem so far away, out of sight and unreachable to your crying, helpless soul. The tears flow faster down your grieved face as you realise that when it comes to this, there is no more asking for God's forgiveness. The Saviour you have turned to all this while cannot help you anymore... will not help you anymore, for it is He himself that you will be facing. No amount of praying, sobbing or begging will bring you back. Your mind, body and spirit are suddenly and swiftly drained of all courage and hope, leaving you weaker, helpless and devoid of strength and will. You are scared, you are fearful, you are helpless, you are just... well, dead. I was dead. Now that the painful realisation had hit, there was only the matter of what was coming up ahead.  
  
Now, try as I may, I have never been good at putting my emotions onto paper. What I have told you so far is just pitiful compared to what I really felt then. Reading it may not have shook you up, but eventually, you'll feel it too... one day.  
  
So there I was, sobbing alone, the shock overwhelming me. I couldn't help wondering what had happened to my physical body. Had they found it already? Sure enough, because I remember blacking out by the window. Were they sitting around it crying? Did they write a letter to my family? Did they... did they... bury me already?! At that thought, I shivered and started crying again, but comforted myself by the fact that if I must be dead, at least I will be remembered... I hope.  
  
All of a sudden, amongst my fear, sadness and grief, something else emerged from the darkness of my mind. I started to feel anger. My heart and chest burned and pounded with a white-hot fury, more white-hot than any other fury I had ever felt before. My lips quivered and my breaths quickened, hurting my chest. I had only one thing I needed to say... one thing I needed to ask... and one thing I needed to know. Now I stood up shakily, my face red, and yelled it out loud into the nothingness and emptiness of the place; "Why did you kill me?!"  
  
I stamped my foot on the barely-there ground and let out an extremely frustrated cry. What did I do that was so horrible and evil to get me murdered? What filthy crime did I commit to be standing here in this empty place without my life? What...  
  
I spun around and stared. I could've sworn I heard a footstep or something behind me. I frowned. "Who goes there?" I cried, "Show yourself!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	8. Chapter 8

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* I searched the mist, turning left and right, seething. There was someone else here! I heard them! "Who is it?!" I yelled again.  
  
"No one but I, my lady."  
  
That voice! Growing angrier, I scanned the nothingness frantically. It had to be her! That heartless, evil...  
  
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a shadow emerging from my left side. I turned and saw her; the Nixus!  
  
Her form became clearer, clearer as she came closer, until I could see the whole of her. I found myself backing away, glowering. This beast had taken my life away! And now she dared to walk up so calmly and coolly to me like this, pretending nothing had happened? Why, she looked so calm!  
  
"Hello, my lady."  
  
The fires sparked and rose up, blazing within me. "Bloody Hell, you!"  
  
Enraged, I ran at her like a mad creature, hands outstretched, screaming while the tears continued to stream down my face. I wanted to mutilate her! Send her off to Hell!  
  
The split second before I reached her, I saw a bright white flash, blinding me and making me skid for a while. I turned my head away and lost my footing. Next thing I knew, I stumbled and fell palms-first onto the ground... onto the spot where she should have been!  
  
Letting out a pained groan, I picked myself up and looked around for her. That creature is going to die! Suffer! Like she did to me! I thought fiercely.  
  
"Your frustration and anger is unnecessary, my lady."  
  
What?  
  
I looked around, then looked up. My murderer was flying about ten feet above my head! My patience had run out and my temper was beginning to take control. I picked myself up, clenched my fists and stamped my foot. "Come down here, you murderer!" I screamed.  
  
She stared at me for a moment, stunned, then sighed, almost regrettably. My blazing eyes turned blood-red, unblinking, as I watched her fly slowly down, landing in front of me. She seemed sad, somehow. It showed in her eyes. Gazing at me, she started to speak, with a tone of one filled with sympathy. "My lady," she sighed, "Why do traces of tears stain your young face?"  
  
I could not believe she was actually asking me this! Sizzling, I screamed, "Because you freakin' killed me, you heartless murderer!" My chest and throat heaved and hurt from screaming so much, but I had to let her have it.  
  
The Nixus stared, unblinking, at me for a moment... then laughed. My mouth dropped open. She... she was laughing?! She was... amused that I was... was dead?! I couldn't say anything; I just stood there feeling my blood boil.  
  
Calming down, she shook her head. "Oh, my lady," she smiled, "what ever has occurred to make you think such an absurd thing?"  
  
My eyes turned a deeper, fiery red; I was so angry! "You," I hissed, "pricked me with your... your... " I took a deep breath. "... fatal, murdering horn!" I finished, teeth gritted and cheeks hot.  
  
All at once, her face turned serious. Her eyes held mine with pity as she remained silent for a while, as if drinking the truth in. "Rest assured, my lady," she said, her mane and tail slightly billowing from the wind that surrounded the place, "You need not be so scared or angry... for let me tell you now that you are not dead."  
  
"Huh?!" My mouth dropped open again. It couldn't be! "What... what are you saying?" I stammered. I dimly realised that my forehead was growing more painful.  
  
The Nixus neighed softly. "My words bring the meaning that death is not what has brought you to this mortally-unknown realm, my lady," she said. "You are merely... in a dream. Your mind is here while your body remains in a state of none-consciousness."  
  
I looked around, confused." A... a dream?" I stammered, "But I... I... "  
  
"Unconscious, my lady. Death," she began, "has not touched you in any way. When you wake, my daughter and I shall have left you already. That is why you are here... for me to tell you what you have the right to know."  
  
"Darn right you will," I muttered. Behind my hostility, I couldn't help feeling relieved and thankful to God for giving me 'a second chance'. And now I waited for her explanation.  
  
"I touched your forehead with my horn, true," she said, fanning her wings slightly, "But not to kill you, my lady. To harm you in unthinkable to me."  
  
The pain in my forehead was still growing. I could tell that it was bleeding a bit more. Wincing, I put my hand to my head to try and stop the pain, feeling the warm, wet blood. Ugh! But wait... what did she say?  
  
"I thought that the horn of a Nixus kills instantly," I whispered, surprised now at how tired I suddenly sounded. She shook her head. "Only with intent, my lady. In other words, only when we want it to," she finished. "You shall wake soon, so I must tell you quickly."  
  
My eyes turned back to their own clear turquoise, meaning that I had managed to calm down inside. "Tell me what?" I said blankly.  
  
"I left a mark on your forehead, my lady."  
  
"What?" I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned. "Don't tell me that I am going to grow a horn... !" I said, not believing what I was hearing. Hornhead! Ugh!  
  
The Nixus laughed. "No, no, my lady, I have not disfigured you in any way," she assured me, "In fact, I am quite certain that some of your friends would label my little 'gift' rather... 'cool'," she smiled.  
  
I didn't laugh, although I wanted to. It had suddenly got very difficult and painful to breathe now, and my forehead felt like it was being burnt! I started coughing and trembling, wondering what on earth was going on now. My head drooped wearily. The Nixus, though, didn't seem to notice anything wrong. She just continued speaking.  
  
"What you feel now is the growth of the mark you will bear on your forehead, my lady. It will grant you a great power that allows you to summon any one of us from my herd in times of need. You need only to touch the mark and pray. Know now, my lady, that Nixai everywhere recognise it as the Symbol of Trust. I have looked into the passages of your heart and have unsurprisingly found you much worthy of it. You are much known, honoured and respected, my lady, and now you shall be much obeyed."  
  
All this I heard through a blur. I had dropped to my knees from the pain that was slowly blocking out all other feelings or emotions. My eyes were squeezed shut, my head was bowed and my hand was at my forehead, soaked with perspiration. My forehead... it had started overflowing with blood, and the blood had streamed down my face, getting into my eyes, streaming down my arm, flowing into my mouth (yuk!) and dripping onto my pyjamas, staining the front part red all over. I breathed heavily and painfully as the disgusting blood dripped eerily onto the swirling misty ground in huge drops. What is happening to me? I thought tiredly. And then I collapsed.  
  
Just before my eyes closed, I heard the Nixus's whispered words in my ear; "And the Sphere... it is now yours, my lady."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* I winced and squeezed my eyes shut, turning my head away. "Oh God... close that curtain!" I cried. Fifteen-year-old Zoe Geller jumped up immediately, closed the windows and pulled the curtains shut, then dropped down on her knees beside me on the floor again. "Mel... " she panted, "S-speak to me... are you... alright?" she gasped.  
  
Now that the moonlight wasn't glaring directly in my eyes, I could look around clearly, but in a daze. I was lying on my back, my feet facing the window, and a crowd of the Gryffindor girls were huddled all around me, pale and scared. They were still in their nighties and were staring at me silently, obviously very worried.  
  
"Mel!" Zoe spoke again, her brown eyes frantic, "Say something! Are you... "  
  
"Oh my God, she's dead!" Hysterical Cynthia Mould grabbed me by the shoulders and started shaking me violently, making my brain rattle and my teeth chatter. "Mel!" she sobbed hysterically, making the other girls jump back, "are you dead? Oh, please don't tell me you're dead!"  
  
Horrified, I raised my arms and tried to defend myself. "Get off me or I will be!" I screamed. 'Again'! I added silently. She dropped me a like a red-hot coal and gulped. "Oh Mel," she sobbed, "I'm so sorry! I was just so worried!" she moaned. I ignored her and sat up, groaning. The clever ass had managed to drop me on my head, making me dizzier.  
  
Zoe waved her hand in front of me, making me snap out of my daze. "Mel, what happened?" she asked. "We heard you scream, and saw you pass out... and... and we saw that small Nixus flying away with a bigger one! What is going on?" she demanded, worried, but puzzled.  
  
Her words made me stare. "I... I don't know!" I whispered, putting my hand to my head, trying to remember. Something major had happened... something that would give me a certain power... something...  
  
I drew my hand away from my head. That's it!  
  
The girls stared and gasped, not at me... but at my forehead. Yes, that was it! "The Symbol!" I cried. I jumped up and ran for the nearest mirror. Although it was slightly dark, I could still see.  
  
There my reflection was... everything was normal, except for that design on my forehead. There was no sign of a prick mark anywhere! No pain, no blood... even my pyjamas were spotless! Only the Symbol remained... as smooth as if it were part of my own skin.  
  
The mirror showed the other girls running up and huddling all around me, staring at my reflection in amazement. Several different whispers arose:  
  
"What is that thing?"  
  
"Oh, it's so awesome! When did you get it done?"  
  
"Who did this to you? That... that creature? What is it?!"  
  
"But Mel, tattoos aren't allowed in school! Especially on your head!"  
  
I simply ignored their never-ending chatter. I was almost breathless myself. "Its... the Symbol of Trust," I whispered. "The what?" they cried simultaneously. I didn't answer; I was staring at it, touching it lightly, feeling it over. There were no bumps; it was, like I said earlier, like a part of my own skin. It had a simple design; two golden 'wings' side by side, sharp-pointed yet elegant, with a shining quality to the gold. In between the 'wings' was a circle... a misty blue one, with a sparkling silver star in the middle. The wings seemed to be guarding... or rather, embracing the blue circle in the middle.  
  
I grinned. Some of my friends really would label this rather cool, I thought to myself. Staring at the blue circle in the middle, something else occurred to me...  
  
I turned to the girls. They backed away, staring goggle-eyed at the Symbol, as if it were some sort of alien sign. Well, maybe it was, for them. Silence. Then, one of them spoke up. "So what is it?" Nods of agreement from the others. "What is it?"  
  
"It's the Symbol of Trust," I repeated, my voice a half-whisper, "Kientra's mother gave it to me... along with... "  
  
I looked down at my right hand. I was still holding it; the first 'gift'. When I opened my hand, they all got another surprise.  
  
"The Sphere of Paradisal Bliss!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


	9. Chapter 9

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* " 'Nixai and Nixun Legends'... ah, here it is!" I announced, pulling a pearly-blue hardcover book out of the shelf. I scanned the cover. "By Alanaster B. Rongbus," I added, "Funny name." Harry turned away from the other shelves and stared, while Chris, leaning against the bookshelf, nodded in approval. "Nice skin," he commented. I nodded too. "Well, come on then," Harry said, "let's go sit down somewhere."  
  
We made our way past other tables and students, most of them reading in genuine interest, others taking notes, while others were yawning in complete boredom . We approached a table that had only one person sitting there.  
  
"Hello," Zoe Geller greeted us cheerfully as we walked up to her. "Hello, CurlyLocks," Chris grinned, giving her extraordinarily curly brown hair a playful tug, "May we invade?"  
  
Zoe grinned, adjusting her hairband. "Oui, Monsieur Bottles," she laughed, gesturing towards the chairs. Zoe Delafonte Geller is half-French, but having moved to Wales at the tender age of 3, she still insists that the only sentence of French she knows is 'Voulez vouz coucher avec moi ce soir?'. Can't be bothered about French, she. 'Too slippery'.  
  
"Oh, Mel," she said, leaning forward as I sat across her, "Mould says she's very sorry for shaking you and then dropping you on your head like that earlier. Got a bruise?"  
  
I dismissed it with a wave of my hand, opening the book. "No, and tell her it's alright. I'm just happy I was alive to feel it." Chris, sitting beside Zoe, chuckled. "No wonder I felt taller standing next to you!" he joked. "Ole!" laughed Zoe, slapping him a high-five.  
  
Some other students turned and frowned. "Shh!" they hissed.  
  
Harry and I grinned at each other and smirked. "Ole!"  
  
"Okay... " slurred Zoe, rolling her eyes . "Let's get on with it. What have you got there?" she asked, pointing. I picked up the small, thick book. "This, mon amie," I grinned, "is hopefully the answer to THIS," I finished, pointing to my forehead. I was so proud of my new 'tattoo' . Zoe stared blankly. "Umm... the human brain?"  
  
"Uh, no... the Symbol of Wisdom," Harry corrected.  
  
Zoe smiled . "Come on, Potter, I was only joking."  
  
Chris interrupted. "What's wrong with Snow?"  
  
The three of them stared at me. "Mel," Harry said, "why are you laughing to yourself?"  
  
"Because," I grinned, my lip quivering in amusement, "it's called the Symbol of Trust, Einstein!" I was trying not to laugh out loud, considering we were in the library.  
  
Harry, a little shame-faced, took the book and started flipping through it. "Symbol of Trust... Symbol of Trust... " he muttered, searching, eyes darting from page to page behind his glasses. "Look under 'Nixun Treasures' or something like that. You might find it," Zoe suggested, ever-willing to help. Harry nodded and continued searching, finally coming to stop at a page. He scanned through it briefly, but after a while, he frowned. "Something wrong, Potter?" quipped Chris. "Well... " Harry scratched his head. "Take a look at this."  
  
He turned the book around so that Zoe and Chris could see. I had to lean forward, supporting myself on my elbows. "According to this book," Harry pointed with his finger, "there's only one Nixun Treasure, and that," he turned to look at me, "is the Sphere."  
  
"That's alright," I said, "I was going to look that one up too." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the elusive Nixun Treasure, setting it on the table. The legendary Nixun Sphere of Paradisal Bliss was indeed a beautiful and wondrous sight to behold. It was as big as a normal tennis ball, and looked as if it were made of the most beautiful, clearest crystal ever, a pale, pale blue in colour. Inside it shone a soft heavenly light, almost as beautiful as the light I had first seen shining from the horn, only this light had many different sparkling colours, changing from time to time, reminding one of a beautiful galaxy with each star visible and clear. Little shining silver stars floated all around inside the Sphere, twisting, turning, and glowing softly. The four of us simply HAD to stop and stare for a while, breathless, even though we'd been looking at it countless times.  
  
Chris snapped his fingers sharply after a while, bringing us back to earth. "Alright already," he said, "What does the book tell us?"  
  
"Allow me," said Zoe, pulling to book closer to her. She cleared her throat and began to read, tracing her finger along the lines as she went.  
  
" 'One of the strongest myths about the Nixai is the myth of the One Nixun Treasure. This great Treasure is supposedly known to Nixai and wizards everywhere as 'The Nixun Sphere of Paradisal Bliss', or 'The Utopian Nixun Crystal', with the word 'Utopian' meaning 'Paradisal' (Utopia = Paradise), sparking comments from wizarding researchers that the second name was completely unnecessary'." Here, Zoe paused and glanced up at us. "Any questions?" she prompted, raising her eyebrows . We glanced at each other, than shook our heads. "No, but we'll stop you if we have any," I replied, "Now go on."  
  
Zoe nodded and continued. " 'From what modern researchers know, this mystical Sphere is a dazzling sight, glowing and sparkling forevermore, with the amazing power to bring heavenly peace and bliss, as the name suggests, to whoever holds it in their hand. Rumours remain that this Sphere is not merely a tool to bring one happiness, but also holds an unknown power yet to be unleashed. Of course, there has never been any proof of this'."  
  
Chris had been listening intently, as had me and Harry. "Is that all?" he asked. Zoe scanned the rest through briefly. "Basically, Nixai honour it greatly and will not harm anyone who possesses it." She shut the book. "And origin is unknown."  
  
Harry tapped his chin thoughtfully and turned to me. "Aren't you the lucky one," he smiled . I laughed. "No more jabbering," I said, "let's try this thing out!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* I had just finished telling the story to the excited Gryffindor girls again. They were giggling and talking excitedly about whatever might happen next and when I might have to use the Symbol. And then Harry and Chris came in.  
  
"Mel," Harry called, "We've got some work to do."  
  
Groans escaped the girls when they heard that. They had so many questions that I was getting weary just by answering them! I put the Sphere back in my robe and followed Harry out of the common room, leaving the girls gossiping wildly. Eranoy was waiting outside, a rather worried look on his face.  
  
"Eranoy?" I said. "What's wrong? What's going on, Harry? What do we have to do?" I asked, puzzled . What could have come up now?  
  
Eranoy shook his head. "I don't know," he mumbled, "but I don't like the look of it... "  
  
Harry simply muttered something and said, "Follow me." Apparently, he didn't seem too happy about what we had to do... whatever it was.  
  
I shut my mouth and followed obediently. Our journey through hallways, corridors, and staircases soon brought us to another hallway... which was wet. Flooded. The water was coming from the end of the corridor. "That's what our job is," Harry pointed, making a face . "Eranoy passed this hallway and noticed the floor," he continued. I looked in the direction of his finger; the deserted girl's lavatory.  
  
I pulled a face too. "Moaning Myrtle," I said with a groan. Eranoy frowned. "Who?"  
  
We walked quickly down the corridor and were soon in front of the door. Cautiously, I opened it, and the three of us peeped inside, while Harry walked in, muttering something. Soft sobbing and moaning could be heard, as always. At the sound, Eranoy frowned again. "Who is that, Mel?" he asked. "Myrtle," I replied simply.  
  
We stepped inside carefully, not wanting to get our shoes too wet. We had guessed right; she had flooded the place again! Already the sinks were close to resembling the Niagara Falls and the taps were still running full- blast. We looked around. Where was she?  
  
"Myrtle?" Harry called softly. Before anything else could happen, a high- pitched voice let out an angry cry and screeched, "What do you want?!"  
  
Moaning Myrtle's head peeped out from one of the cubicles, sniffing. Her distraught expression vanished into a shy smile when she saw Harry. "Oh... " she crooned, "Hello, Harry... " She started giggling again, floating out immediately.  
  
Eranoy gasped slightly. He had never seen this ghost around before; that was for certain. "Mel!" he whispered, "Who is this?"  
  
"That's Moaning Myrtle, Eranoy. Watch what you say," I added, "She's a little on the sensitive side." Eranoy nodded, but still looked a little uneasy.  
  
Chris walked to the sinks and started turning them off one by one. "Myrtle, what is the... " He turned around and gave a surprised cry that echoed around the room when he saw Myrtle's angry, glaring face floating not a foot away from him. "Don't do that!" he glared, putting his hand to his heart. Muttering, he turned away. Myrtle watched him for a while and gave a loud humph. "Come to tell me off?" she said, "Well, isn't that a little typical of everyone? Say whatever you want to Myrtle, do whatever you want! She won't feel it!" She started crying again.  
  
I left Eranoy's side and turned off the last tap. Myrtle had floated above our heads, moaning away loudly. I looked up at her. "Myrtle, do you mind explaining all this?" I said. At that, she stopped moaning and fixed me with a 'look'. Then, she floated over to the sinks and started turning on all the taps again "Let them flow... " she gulped, "Even this is not enough to represent the tears I have to cry!" Discreetly, we pulled our robes up to avoid the water.  
  
I nudged Harry. "You ask her," I whispered. "She likes you."  
  
Harry gave me an uncertain look, then turned back to Myrtle, floating around the sinks aimlessly, moaning and sobbing again. He sighed. "Myrtle," he began through gritted teeth, "tell us what happened. If there's anything we can do to help, we'll try. But for now, you have to calm down and... "  
  
"Oh, for the love of sweet Jesus, what the bloody Hell happened?!" an aggravated Chris yelled, making all three of us jump. He had apparently lost patience.  
  
Myrtle stopped her noise at once and stared stonily at Chris. She suddenly floated dangerously slow towards him, sniffing all the while, looking like she was going to do something to him. Chris's eyes grew wide, but he stood his ground. "Come on then," he challenged, "Tell us!"  
  
Transparent tears were running down her face, but her expression was a mixture of hatred, anger, and bewilderment. In a word; dangerous.  
  
Harry and I rolled our eyes . We were used to her. I suppose the same can't be said for Eranoy, for he gripped my hand and whispered, "What's she going to do to him?" He sounded rather fierce. I shook my head, signalling 'nothing'.  
  
She floated silently in front of him for a while, searching his face. He stood there with a tight-lipped, hold-your-ground expression. Neither spoke a word, until Myrtle finally spoke, in a sniffing, hissing whisper. "You want to know why I did this?" She took a deep breath. "It's because of rude, unpitying people like you!"  
  
The four of us jumped back as she flew, screaming, past us into the wall between the two rows of cubicles at the end of the lavatory, and disappearing... just like that. Her screams filled the room exasperatingly loud, making the whole place tremble with her high, quivering screeches. Grimacing, we clapped our hands over our ears, trying to shut out the horrible noises. Gradually, the din faded, and the floor and walls stopped trembling.  
  
Harry lowered his hands with a relieved sigh. Chris started grumbling, and Eranoy muttered, "I really don't like her much." Harry nodded in agreement , then turned to me. "I think someone upset her... besides Bottles," he added quickly. I nodded, turning off the taps again. "Someone probably just said something mildly bad to her," I shrugged .  
  
A willowy voice spoke; " 'Advice' is more like it."  
  
We spun around. There in the doorway floated a ghost Eranoy had seen before. A young girl, very pretty with her long billowing Camelot-style gown. She held her constant companion in her hands; a little crystal heart that was hanging from a shimmering string. It was Celia Mist.  
  
"Hello, Celia," we greeted politely. Eranoy smiled . He liked Celia. She nodded at us, smiling. Floating in, she looked around. "Looks like Myrtle made another pathetic, sympathy-begging disappearing act." She shook her head in obvious disgust.  
  
Fiddling with my long, dark hair, I asked her, "What exactly did you say to her, Celia?" The young female ghost huffed. "All I said was that she should stop her endless moaning and whining and let this place be usable for once! Apparently, that was too much for the poor soul to take, bless my shocked heart." Celia hates whiners. Always has.  
  
"Liar!" Myrtle's head popped up from the floor at our feet, making us jump back. "You told me that I should shut up and go somewhere else where I wouldn't get on everyone's nerves anymore!" she shrieked.  
  
Celia rolled her grey eyes. "Only when you started whining again." She shook her long wavy hair.  
  
Myrtle floated up, sniffing and gulping. "I know what you're planning," she said, voice unsteady. She pointed at the four of us. "You're planning to sweet-talk them into turning against me!" she screeched, still pointing.  
  
Chris raised his hands slightly, as if under arrest. "Refresh my decaying memory," he whispered to Harry, "When did we ever take her side in anything?"  
  
"Yes," Myrtle continued, "You'll use you miserable gift of sweet gab to convince them and everyone else to drive me; poor, miserable, dead, Moaning Myrtle out of Hogwarts!" she screamed. Chris only got more confused. "Where does this all make sense?" he whispered again.  
  
Celia stared, then laughed. "Myrtle, Myrtle, Myrtle," she laughed. "Which ghost at Hogwarts do you know isn't already dead, hmm? And my intentions are good ones; no one ever said anything about driving you away." She crossed her arms, waiting for an answer, still smiling in amusement.  
  
Myrtle stared at the floor, sniffing, her ponytails drooping. "Well... " she said, "well... " She obviously couldn't come up with a retort. She suddenly looked up at Celia again, angry as angry goes . "See?! You're doing it already! Sweet-talking them into taking your side! Oh, you don't fool me, missy! I can see right through you!" she screamed. Turning, she flew back into the floor, screeching again. And again, her screams shook the room, then faded.  
  
Chris lowered his hands from his ears and turned to stare at us. This time, Eranoy spoke his words. "Seriously, where did everything make sense?" We just shrugged.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


End file.
